Mohawk Indians

"The People of the Flint"

Origins

  • Mohawk Native Americans are part of the six Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) tribes, traditionally from the New York State area, as well as Ontario and Quebec territories.
  • Being part the Iroquois Confederacy meant that all six tribes promised to never attack one other, and instead trade goods.
  • They call themselves, Kahniakehake, which means "People of the flint."
  • The name "Mohawk" came from the first Dutch and English settlers - the term meaning "man eaters".

 

The term Mohawk also

comes from the men who

shave their head into a

"mohawk" when going to war. The women would only wear the mohawk style in mourning periods. Otherwise, women wore their hair long and loosely, or in a long braid.

Appearence

Like all the Iroquois tribes, Mohawks wore feathered headdresses, but were more like small feathered caps. Each of the tribes would wear the feathers in a different design and position. Mohawks wore three eagle feathers straight up, on top of the headdress.

living

Clothing for men was minimal, usually a breechcloth (loin cloth) in the summer. Women would wear a wraparound shirt or tunic. 

  • Leggings, hide shirts, fur wraps in the winter.
  • Moccasins for shoes.

They lived in wooden homes called Longhouses.​ 

Men were responsible for hunting, fishing, and trading. While women

were had the roles of farming, taking care of children and making all

the land or property decisions. Chiefs were in charge of war and

trading agreements. Chiefs were also always men, but women were

the only ones who decided who would become Chief.

Beliefs

  • Influenced by Christianity
  • Creation story
    • ​Sky Woman - Iroquois Mother Goddess (multiple versions)
      • ​The Great Turtle
    • The Twin Gods - Sky Holder (Good spirit) and Flint (Evil spirit)
      • Sky Holder represents: Life
      • Flint represents: Death
    • Balance in the world

Sky Woman

Mohawk Symbols

  • The Tree of Peace
  • The Cardinal Points - North, South, East, West
  • The Eagle who sits on the Tree of Peace
  • The Giant Turtle - The Earth
  • Dreams
    • ​Wishes of the Soul
    • Dreamcatchers
    • False Face Society
      • ​Healers and Shamans

Current Events

"Quebec Mohawks likely to declare own independence if PQ wins sovereignty referendum: Grand Chief"

  • “'We’d never be part of Quebec or cede out of Canada because we don’t believe we are Canadians to begin with. Our ties are to the land,' said Grand Chief Michael Delisle of Kahnawake, which counts about 8,000 Mohawks."
  • “'Quebec can decide the fate of its people for itself, but they certainly cannot decide our fate as First Nations people,' said Assembly of First Nations regional chief for Quebec  Labrador, Ghislain Picard."
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